When Stars Align

Meeting the grandfather.

Luca collected the phone from his son’s hand and the boy scampered off. “Hello.”

“I finally meet my grandson and it’s on the phone,” his father said in a caustic tone. Even though he wasn’t present, Luca’s spine stiffened and he held the phone a little tighter.

“Bourn giorno papa.”

“When am I meeting my grandson?” his father asked, dispensing with pleasantries.

“Soon papa, I just want him to be familiar with the change in his surroundings.”

“If you didn’t have an illegitimate child with another woman, he wouldn’t need to get familiar with his surroundings.” He accused.

He wouldn’t be an illegitimate child if you didn’t force me to marry another woman, Luca almost retorted but said nothing. “There will be a party this weekend, a sort of her together so he can be officially introduced to the family, be there.” His father commanded.

“Okay papa.”

The call ended and he replaced the phone on the holder. Two years of no contact between the two and all his father could give him was a brusque phone call, one where his father talked and he listened. That was how their relationship had always been, his father gave commands and he rushed to fulfil them. Over the years, he’d thought his father’s rigid behaviour towards him would lessen and he would finally receive him one day with a welcoming smile. But it was just a foolish dream of a child deprived of his father’s love

He walked back to the dining room and leaned against the arched doorway watching Amanda and his son. She was sitting beside him feeding him. Their eyes locked and she smiled at him, he returned her smile, his earlier mood dissipating. She had always had that effect on him, making him forget his troubles with just a smile. He left his position by the doorway and joined them.

“Where are you taking me?” Amanda asked as Luca led her out of her room.

“You’ll see,” he kept his hands over her eyes and led her down the hall, past his room and stopped at the only other door on the floor. From his pocket, he took out a key and unlocked the door, opened it and led her into the room.

“Now you can look,” he removed his hand and stepped back to let her take in the room.

The room was painted white with a glass wall facing the sun, that was the major source of light in the room. There was a table with some sketched on it, a few inches away from the glass wall. In another part of the room, there was a cushion where he sometimes reclined to collect his thoughts. There were lots of easels in the room, some open with finished paintings on them and others covered with a white cloth, close to an easel on the left hand corner of the room was another table with lots of paint cans on it and a set of brushes arranged in a cup.

He turned on the air conditioning in the room, the heat from the sun was sometimes too much. She walked to the table in the middle of the room and picked up one of the sketches on it, picked up another and stared at the sketches on them.

“This is–“

“My summer collection,” he finished for her. He went to her and stood behind her as he scanned each sketch, one after the other, taking in every detail.

“They are so colourful and so beautiful,” she marvelled at them. She turned to him with a sketch in hand and smiled as if just realising something.

“They’re African,” she stated.

“Si,” he took the sketch out of her hand and dropped it back on the table.

“I was thinking about you when I made them, you’re the first to see them,” he held her gaze and her eyes widened, she swallowed.

“They’re beautiful.”

“No, you’re beautiful,” he corrected. He looked into her eyes, enthralled. “You know, you really have the most beautiful pair of eyes,” she blushed and he stroked her cheek.

“What are you doing Luca, what are we doing?” she voiced out in a silky whisper, “we can’t continue doing this.”

She was right, he knew this but every time he looked at her he couldn’t help it, he felt an uncontrollable desire to kiss her, make love to her; like he did right now.

“I know,” he brought his face closer to hers, “but what can I do Eku, I love you,” he rubbed his nose against hers slowly. He could feel his breath deepening, his heart pounding faster.

“I love you, so much,” he breathed and locked lips with hers. The kiss was slow, tentative, full of the love they longed to express to one another. It became feverish, she slipped her hands under his shirt and stroked his warm body, feeling every ridge, every muscle.

His stomach coiled, tightening with desire, with a profound need, he had to grip the edges of the table tight to keep from ravishing her. He needed to take it easy with her, she deserved for a man to worship her body, to take his time and make slow, sweet love to her. He broke the kiss with a sigh and moved to her neck, he kissed down her neck and stopped at her collarbone where he nibbled her flesh and soothed every bite with a kiss.

Slowly, he unbuttoned her blouse, stripped her of all her clothing till she was bare before him. He lifted her up and carried her to the cushion where he placed her there gently. She watched him as he peeled off his clothes, her eyes mirroring his emotions. He lay with her and made slow, languid love to her till they were both spent.